Problem Set 8 was accidentally taken down, but now it's back up! Problem 2b has been updated (to be clear, as this announcement was so late, the graders will be instructed to go very easy on this problem). And it's still due on Tuesday at 7pm.

PS6, problem 3 clarification: the partial orders are
weak partial orders. Problem set 6 has been
updated to reflect this.

The point subtotals for Problem Set 6 problem parts now all sum to 20
points, as they should.

Oscar's office hours have been updated on the right.

A student pointed out that problem 2d on Problem Set 6 is ill-defined if
N is taken to include 0. For the specific problem, N is the set {1, 2, 3,
...}. The problem set has been updated accordingly with this clarification.

Problem Set 2 is posted here, and will be due Monday at 7pm.
The
corresponding reading for problem set 2 is Chapter 3 (sec 3.5 is
optional).

10 point bonus on Problem Set 2 for seeing your TA during
office hours. If you absolutely can't make the office hours your TA is
hosting, then let him/her know, go to another office hours, and check in
with an on-duty TA.

See Marten if you are not scheduled in a recitation (or a TA).

In the future, Nick's recitations are now in
24-307, for 9am and 10am.

Stav's office hours have been updated! See under Staff and Office Hours.

Course Overview

Welcome to 6.042! In this course, we'll teach you some mathematics that we
think you'll find useful in your study of computer science. 6.042 covers
applications of Discrete Mathematics to Computer Science. The only prerequisite
is 18.01. If you have already taken 18.310 or 6.046, then you should not take
6.042. There are 90-minute lectures on Tuesday and Thursday in 32-123. There are
also mandatory 1-hour recitations on Wednesday and Friday focused on solving
problems in small groups.

Reading

The text is Mathematics for Computer Science. A draft copy is
available here. Reading will be
assigned each week with the problem sets.

Problem Sets

There is a problem set each week, for a total of 12. Problem sets are generally
released on Tuesday, due the following Monday evening at
7 PM
in the locked boxes at the elevator lobby in 32-G5
and returned in recitation on Friday.
Be neat! Graders
may deduct for sloppiness. Late homework is generally not accepted,
but talk to your recitation instructor if a special circumstance
arises. Please do not refer to course materials from previous terms.
You may work with other students, but your writeup must be entirely
your own. On the top of your homework, list:

all collaborators, other than course staff

all written sources that you consulted, other than the text and
course handouts from this term

If you had no collaborators and consulted no written sources, then
write, "I worked alone." Homework without a collaboration statement
will not be graded.

Exams

There is one midterm exam on Wednesday, October 27, from 7:30-9:30pm, and there is a
3-hour final exam during finals week.

Grading

We compute a percentage score based on your coursework and then
assign a letter grade as follows:

A

88.0 - 100%

B

75.0 - 87.9%

C

60.0 - 74.9%

D

50.0 - 59.9%

F

below 50.0%

Your percentage score is the weighted average of your scores in
four areas: homework, recitation, midterm, and the final exam.
Scores in the four individual areas are determined as follows:

Homework (30%)

We drop your lowest score. We may normalize an entire recitation
section upward, if necessary to compensate for variations in grading
standards.

Recitation (20%)

Each recitation is worth 0, 1, or 2 points. If you attend for the
full period and work constructively with your team, then you get 2
points. If you skip part of recitation (that includes falling asleep!) or glaringly fail to work
constructively with your team, then you get 1 point. If you are
absent, you get 0 points. We drop your two lowest recitation
scores.

Midterm (25%), Final (35%)

We'll cut 10% off the weight of your weakest exam. If the class
median on an exam is below 75% (which is typical), then we normalize
all scores upward so that the median is 75%. We normalize by adding a
fixed number of points to every score. Scores are not capped at 100%.
If the median on an exam is above 75%--- fantastic!